Toubkal Trek + Moroccan Magic!
July 18, 2026
Day 9 → Hi guys! We are back and better than ever. Today we woke up in Imlil, Morocco! We stayed at a Riad with colorful patterns and a rooftop deck! We enjoyed a Moroccan breakfast of boiled eggs, Moroccan pancakes, and yogurt! We geared up, filled our waters, and headed up to Mt. Toubkal basecamp! Charlie was leading the charge and guiding our group all the way up the mountain! We made it to basecamp in record time! We completed the 7 miles up the canyon and were able to stop at little markets on the way up to buy snacks and souvenirs. As we climbed in elevation, we continuously admired the views around us! Alden made sure to capture photos that we will all have forever! Once we got to basecamp, we showered up and played games for the rest of the night! Wynn got the boys together to play poker, and they played until it was time for Moonup! We enjoyed Moonup in our tiny bunkroom, where we all slept for two nights! After Moonup it was time for bed before our big summit day!
Day 10 → And give a round of applause for summit day!! The group woke up thanks to some tunes from Thomas and Catherine and we all got ready to take charge on the day. As we started getting in the headspace for what was to come, you could look around and see the joy and excitement on everyone’s face. After double knotting our hiking boots and throwing on our puffer jackets we headed downstairs for a quick breakfast and then headed outside to gear up. Thanks to Wynn and Bo’s high energy the group was loud and proud and ready to scale Mt. Toubkal and get to that triangle on the top. As we started our trek the pace was set strong with Caroline and Mary Olive out in front taking charge. Whether it was singing, riddles, games or even just small talk the group pushed through the rain, hail and even snow and got to the top of Toubkal. The views were nothing but extraordinary and absolutely breathtaking. Thanks to some prior research from Thomas the group realized they were the highest point in their surroundings by over 4200 miles in each direction! After some candy, music, dancing, movie filming and all of the above we gathered around the summit point where we were able to place roses and candles to honor the founder of Moondance Hayes Hitchens who summited Mt. Toubkal two summers ago. This was a very heartwarming and special experience that we were blessed to be a part of. After some moments of silence the group threw their packs back on and headed back down the mountain. After some time the crew finally arrived back at basecamp ready for a warm lunch, hot shower and a nap. Once that was all said and done we finished out the day by talking about the mountain, playing various card games and just conversations filled with laughter and smiles. After dinner we had a great Moonup thanks to our LODs, Lucas and Louise and headed to bed.
Day 11 → WOOHOO LAST DAY TREKKING! Today we woke up and ate a quick breakfast before going back down the canyon to Imlil. We threw our packs on, cleaned up our messy room and grabbed our hiking poles. We started hiking down the mountain, Louise and Coleman made sure to keep the conversations going and the vibes high while we flew down the mountain. We made a few stops on our way down. Dunn inspired the group to get t-shirts that say Mt. Toubkal on them to celebrate our achievements. Once we got down the mountain, we hiked a little through the town while giving high fives to kids on our way to lunch. We arrived at lunch in the forest and enjoyed chicken, carrots, and other various things before going to the van! As soon as we got to the van, the group ripped off their hiking boots and put on flip flops for the ride. The group slept during the ride before we arrived at Mohammed’s house! We enjoyed our afternoon by the pool and relaxed before showering up and eating an amazing dinner. Lucas made sure to help clean up and set the table, which was so helpful! We finished our dinner and enjoyed Moonup before some much needed rest (in AC and a comfy bed!)
Day 12 → The well anticipated market day finally arrived. As it was time to jump out of bed after a wonderful night of sleep the group got their outfits together and headed outside for a beautiful breakfast spread. After some juice, coffee, tea, and various food items we loaded up in the van and talked about the fun things we were going to search for while in the markets. We finally arrived and were greeted by our guide Ab who gave us a briefing of how the day was going to look and we were on our way through the souks of Marrakesh. Our first stop put us at a Berber Pharmacy where we learned about the different Moroccan spices, medicinal ointments and various other things. Eloise was the first to take charge as she loaded up on the spices to bring home to her family while the boys made sure to get some colognes and different fragrances. After the pharmacy we headed to our first big vendor where the girls purchased gold bracelets with their names engraved on them in Arabic lettering, while the boys were more interested in different soccer jerseys and fake designer brand wallets and watches. However one silent steal of the markets was Lulie’s purse purchase along with her new pajama pants that everyone was jealous of. As we hit a few more stands and vendors we grabbed some ice cream and loaded back up in the van for some much needed lunch and time under the Moroccan sun. After some time outside we showered up, re-charged the speaker and headed back outside for our cooking class!!! We learned how to make the delicious and notorious Moroccan pancakes, kefta and famous mint tea. As we wrapped up the cooking and the boys set the table we enjoyed our well prepped and cooked meal and headed off to bed as we had a busy travel day back to Madrid to look forward to!!
Day 13 → Unfortunately today is our last day together. We woke up and had our last Moroccan breakfast before packing our bags, cleaning our rooms, and heading to the airport. Thanks to the group’s amazing listening skills, we got through the airport super quickly and relaxed at our gate before heading on the flight. The boys played hacky sack, and the girls walked around the airport to kill time before the flight back to Madrid! We went through the motions of flying before eventually arriving in Madrid! Once we got back to Spain, we dropped our bags, showered, and got ready for our last night together. We got our banquet meal of tacos and then went shopping in Madrid! The girls went to Zara and the boys went to the soccer museum in honor of Spain competing in the World Cup! After our last night together, we enjoyed our last Moonup and headed to bed before an early morning in the airport!
Day 14 → After a great last night together, we woke up early and got our things together before hopping on the metro to transfer to the airport. We got to the airport and began to say our goodbyes. Thomas and I couldn’t have imagined a better group to experience this trip with, we wish that we could keep them for the rest of the summer! These kids are so full of life, inspiring, and kind-hearted. Watching this group grow together and create memories has been one of the best experiences ever. Thank you for sharing your wonderful kids with us on such a special trip!
Crushing Canyoneering!
July 12, 2026
Day 6
Good morning, and we are back with another trip update for SPM 2A!! Today we took a new turn with our activities in the Picos as we woke up and headed towards our first of the day, which was a surprise!! It was via ferrata!! Thanks to our LODs, Wynn and Lulie, the group got their harness on and were ready to face the rock that towered over us. Eloise and Alden wasted no time and jumped right in line and started climbing. The group did so well during this activity, and the smiles were contagious. After rock climbing, we headed back down on some ziplines as we had different contests of who could do the coolest move, a nonchalant contest, and many other fun games that kept the group on high energy and full blast. After the activity, the girls sat around and admired their different pictures of the trip thus far, as the boys bought some sodas, as well as Bo and Coleman, who also got a slice of chocolate cake that was to die for. We loaded up in the van after some chill time and headed off towards lunch for some much-deserved pizza. There were loads of pies coming in hot with cheese, pepperoni, vegetables, and the notorious barbecue pizza. The group absolutely devoured these, and after we walked around town, Catherine and Thomas treated the group to some ice cream and gelato!!!!! As we enjoyed our savory snack, we headed back towards the van and geared up for some surf time. As we rolled into jamming out, the group threw on their wetsuits and got ready to jump into the water. Dunn and Louise led the back in the water, getting up on the boards first and showing the crew how it was done. We saw many people get up on their first wave, such as Mary Olive, Lucas, Charlie, and countless others. After some great time in the water, we headed back towards our new hostel, where we settled in, took some showers, and the boys even started filming for their big movie, thanks to Caroline’s camera and filming, as well as Lucas’ filming too. After some short scenes we loaded back up into the vans and headed towards Llanes, where the girls shopped, and the boys went to a viewpoint and met back up for dinner, where we got to watch Spain take down Belgium in a very lively crowd. We headed back to the hostel and had a great moonup thanks to our LODs and then got some rest for our next big day!
Day 7
And just like that, we are back at it and back to work for another amazing adventure with the 2A crew. Our LODs of the day, Coleman and Mary Olive, set the tone again as we headed towards CANYONEERING!!!!! The group rolled in hot and jumped into their wetsuits and headed off into the jungle to see what the Caras River had in store for us. Right as we got to the river, everyone quickly polar plunged and got acclimated to the chilly water temp early on. As the boys hopped in the front and played their own version of Call of Duty through the jungle, the girls talked about their favorite movies, shows, and stories of the summer. Whether we jumped, slid, or did superman into the chilly water holes like yesterday, the smiles were present and persistent throughout the activity. We ended our last activity in Spain with a little cliff jumping and then got back to the van, slipped out of our wetsuits, and headed off to our wonderful lunch filled with so many interesting and yummy tastes. We had things like salad, octopus, grilled veggies, and boatloads of other delicious food. Before we jumped back into the van for our long drive back to Madrid, the crew loaded up on some snacks and drinks, ready for action for what this drive entailed. While the girls slept and rested on the drive, the boys had a different ride as they sang “500 bottles of Jake on the wall,” getting through the entire song in under an hour. Thankfully, after the song, we all got some rest, and after five short hours, we arrived at our hotel. We got into our rooms, showered up, changed, and walked towards our dinner, where we had a taste of what we had missed the most, some burgers and fries. After dinner, we had some amazing chocolate ice cream, cheesecake, and brownies. We geared back up and headed off back to the hotel on our own two feet, where we had another beautiful moon up thanks to our LODs, and got some sleep before our big travel day tomorrow to a whole other continent!
Day 8 ->
Talk about an early morning! As we hopped in the van and headed for our short and sweet drive, we arrived at the airport and hugged our amazing guides from Spain, Alberto and Irene, goodbye. Right as we got through security, the boys jumped straight into a hacky sack circle, constantly practicing their new talents and skills. The group quickly settled down at the gate with some time to spare and broke off to explore what the Madrid airport had to share. While the girls came back to Starbucks, the boys were all over the place. As we started making our way onto our last plane of the day, the smiles were still there, even though we were a sleep-deprived crew. With the blink of an eye, we were coming over the Moroccan coastline and touching down in Marrakech. After some new stamps in the passports and currency changes, we hopped on our last mode of transportation of the day, thanks to a warm greeting from Hamou and Mohammed. Looking from side to side out the window and looking down the road, observing the many Vespas in the bike lane, the group was admiring the difference between Spain and Morocco and pumped for our new adventure. As we worked our way up the mountain, we stopped by a creek for a quick sandwich and some fruit, as well as a surprise bunch of Oreos that the group found peace with. The travel day finally came to an end as we checked into our beautiful hostel overlooking Toubkal. We ended the day watching the sun drop behind the mountain and getting in the headset of 3A coming together and crushing the mountain one step at a time. Time for SPM 3A to go “Beast Mode” up that mountain and conquer what Toubkal has in store for us.
NOW TIME FOR SOME MORE SHOUTOUTS AND THANK YOU’S!!!!!!!!
Eloise: Hi!! I’ve been having the best time ever and am so so excited for Morocco! Surfing and canyoneering were such incredible experiences- thank you for putting me on this trip, I have so many fun stories I can’t wait to tell you! Big hugs ❤️
Alden: Hey Mom and Dad! I’m still having so much fun here. We are heading to Morocco today and I’m so excited. Thank you so much for letting me go on this trip and paying for it. I’m so grateful for y’all! Can’t wait to tell y’all all about it when I get home this is the best trip.
Louise: Hey fam, today we are leaving Spain and about to get on our flight to Morocco! I’m so sad it’s already halfway through but I’m literally having the best time ever!! Thank you sososososo much for sending me on this trip and I’m so grateful for yall❤ ️ tell Fran and Jj hi and I love and miss you guys so much! Love Louise
Lulie: Hey momma and dad I’m having so much fun this is the coolest trip can’t wait to tell you about it later miss y’all. Also tell my friends I’m having so much fun and I miss them so much love y’all! Thank yall so much for sending me on this trip. It’s been so much fun and I can’t wait to go to Morocco today! Love yall 🩷
Mary Olive: Hey y’all! We are leaving for Morocco today! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip. It has been so much fun!! I am so excited to see yall this week this trip has gone by so fast! Love y’all!!
Caroline: Hi mom and dad!! I am in the airport to go to Morocco right now and I am super excited. Thank you soooo much for sending me on this trip. I love it so much and I am super grateful!! It has gone by so fast and I can’t believe we only have 6 days left!! I love and miss yall so much!!
Dunn: Hey mom and dad, thank you so much. You guys are the best. I’m having so much fun, thank you. Love y’all.
Wynn: Thank you guys so much for sending me on this trip. It’s incredible love you guys.
Charlie: Hey, Mom and Dad. I just wanted to take the time to thank you guys for giving me the opportunity to go on this trip. I have been having so much fun with my group and the memories I have made will last a lifetime. Spain was the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life and I am so excited for Morocco. I appreciate your guys’ sacrifice and I can’t wait to tell you guys all about it when I come home in a week.
Bo: Hey Mom and Dad! I wanted to say thank you for the opportunity to go on this trip. I have been having so much fun with my group and the memories I have made will last a lifetime. Spain was the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life and I am so excited for Morocco. Can’t wait to see you soon!
Coleman: Hey mom and dad!!! Miss y’all so much, Spain is such an amazing place and I am so grateful that yall sent me on this trip it has been truly amazing. We have such a good group and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the trip goes. We are leaving for Morocco today so i will see yall soon!!!
Lucas: Hey mom and dad, thank you for sending me here. We have had a lot of fun. We play hacky sack and cards. We are in the Madrid airport right now and are about to go to Morocco.
Terrific Trekking!
July 10, 2026
HELLO SPAIN + MOROCCO FAMILIES!
Day 1+2 Travel Days!!!!!!!!!
Day 3: YAY FIRST FULL DAY!!! Today we woke up in the beautiful mountains of the Picos de Europa! Our lodging was surrounded by 360-degree mountain views that were unbelievable! We enjoyed our breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast before getting ready for our hike! Our LODs (Leaders of the Day), Eloise and Lucas, gave us a rundown of our hike and showed us the route on the map before we headed out. We started our hike, and our guides, Irene and Alberto, made sure to show us all of the cool plants and rock formations around us as we hiked through the canyon. As we hiked, Dunn made sure to improve his Spanish skills and impress everyone we encountered! Throughout the hike, we were next to a running river that provides renewable energy to the Picos Mountains! So many cool, fun facts on our first day. After our hike, we enjoyed lunch and re-packed our bags before the transport to our next destination. Post lunch, we hopped in the car and jammed out to music before arriving at the trailhead. We started our hike, and it began to rain! Alden honestly could not rip the smile off of her face as we were all getting drenched in the rain. Such a funny, memorable moment. As soon as we arrived at our lodging, the sun began to peek through the clouds, and we immediately hopped into card games. We played ERS, and the group was intense! We have very competitive kids. We played games until dinner time and then into moonup and great nights of rest.
Day 4: YAYYYYYYY another day of trekking! Today we woke up in triple bunk beds! We got ready for the day in our little mountain hut and ate breakfast before Wynn had the best idea! Moonjacks! These were jumping jacks, but they spelled out Moondance. We did our Moonjacks and got hyped for our hike! This group is so fast! We completed a 6-mile hike and summited all together!!!! Thomas and I were so proud of the group! There were 360 views of the mountains, and everyone in the group said it was the best hike they had ever done in their life. It was so rewarding. After frolicking down the mountain and singing The Sound of Music. We made it down and enjoyed our sandwiches before actually descending from the mountain hut. Louise and Charlie led the group speedily down the mountain before hopping back in the van! The group got much-needed naps and snacks during our trip before arriving in Stores! Stores is the cutest little town with the best views. We had some free time in the afternoon. We all enjoyed each other’s company and played games before dinner! At dinner, we tried new Spanish foods that the group had never tried before! It was a success! The restaurant even said they were so proud of how we cleared the plates. After dinner, we went up to the lookout in Sotres. It had some of the most insane views some of us had ever seen. The boys got into an intense game of hacky sack, and the girls got competitive in the card game called presidents!! Caroline showed off the game! As the sun went down, we had moonup and walked back to the mountain hut before calling it a night.
Day 5: Last day of trekking in Spain 🙁 Today, the group woke up ready to conquer the day. We had our last day of hiking in Spain and did one of the most popular hikes! We ate breakfast and laced up our boots before driving to the trailhead. The group hopped out, put on sunscreen, looked at some cows, and began our ascent. We hiked/climbed up pretty much the whole way! Mary Olive and I had the best conversations throughout the hike, and it was absolutely a highlight. Once we got to the top, we enjoyed the view, the boys made sure to make rock stacks, and took many photos. Coleman was the best photographer and offered to take many pictures with his camera. We descended from our hike, ate lunch under a tree, and chugged our water. We then grabbed our swimsuits and went to a nearby river to cool off! The group loved swimming in the clear water (even if it was freezing cold!) After our cool off, we jammed music in the car and went back to Sotres. The group all got snacks at the market and hung out in the shade while we discussed where we thought the mystery trip would be! We then headed back to the hut and played many rounds of Monopoly Go before going to dinner! We ate an amazing meal and then headed back to the viewpoint. The boys played many rounds of hacky sack, and Bo was dedicated to the game. The girls made sure to get photos, and Lulie was making everybody laugh with her funny faces. As the sun fell, we ended our night with Moonup before going to bed. Another amazing day with an AMAZING group. They make Thomas and me laugh like never before, and WE ARE HAVING THE BEST TIME EVERRRR!!!
NOW FOR SOME SHOUTOUTS!!!!!!
Eloise: Hi Mom and Dad! I miss you guys, but this trip has been one of the biggest blessings and I genuinely am in love with Spain. The hiking is hard, but so rewarding and the group works so well together! I love y’all and hope you are good back home!
Alden: Hey Mom and Dad! I miss y’all so much I’m having SOOO much fun my group is amazing we all get along so well. We have been hiking all day everyday and the views are so incredible. I love this place so much and we haven’t even gone to Morocco yet. I don’t want to leave! We even went on a run one day and it was so fun I can’t wait for the rest of this trip.
Louise: HELLOO! I’m having the best time here in Spain and I am so sad we’re halfway. My group is great and has been hiking to beautiful places every day! I miss you guys so much and I hope y’all are working hard and getting lots done at the hotel! Tell Frances I miss her and to also relay that message to Legier. Say hi to my friends and I will see y’all soon!! Love, Louise
Lulie: Hey momma and dad I’m having so much fun this is the coolest trip can’t wait to tell you about it later miss y’all. Also tell my friends I’m having so much fun and I miss them so much love y’all!
Mary Olive: Hey y’all! This trip has been so fun so far! I love my group which is good. The hikes are hard but it’s so pretty! Morocco is next week and I’m really excited! Anyways see y’all next week, miss y’all!
Caroline: Hi mom and dad!! I am having a great time in Spain and my group is getting super close and funny. We go on a ton of hikes and they are very long and hot but the end view is always sooo pretty. Well tell Chloe Sofia and Molly I say hi and please follow up about Florida. Love and miss y’all!!
Dunn: What’s up Mom and Dad! This place is sick. The views have been unbelievable, and so far we have summited 2 mountains around 1500 meters. All the boys are pretty sick. We have this pretty legendary tour guide named Alberto, he is the absolute man. He speaks English pretty fluently but I have been talking to him in Spanish and I’ve gotten pretty good. I miss y’all, can’t wait to go to Simon’s dad.
Wynn: Hello Mother and Father. I would say I’m enjoying myself. We take a 6-7 mile hike everyday. The group is great. Spain is bet Morocco is to come. Alberto is him.
Charlie: Hey, Mom and Dad. I’m having an awesome time in Spain with my group. We have been on a lot of 7 mile hikes. Yes, I have got plenty of photos, Mom. I miss and love you guys so much. Our group is really cool and I love the memories I have made with them. I am excited to make some more. We go to Morocco in a couple of days and I can’t wait to get y’all gifts. We have two really cool guides who we have connected with, Alberto and Irene. Love you guys. See you in a week.
Bo: Hey Mom and Dad! Everything is really cool here, we have hiked two mountains one 1600 meters the other 1900 meters, both with great views and a great workout. The food has been decent but I miss chipotle and seed oils. Our tour guides are really cool and funny and we have befriended them. We are in Spain currently but we are going to Morocco soon. Miss y’all!
Coleman: Hey mom and dad!!! Miss y’all so much, Spain is such an amazing place! Mom you were exactly right there is not something here I won’t eat it’s all meat cheese and bread. I hope that y’all had a good time in Madrid. The city seemed pretty cool. We have been hiking the past couple days and it has been really hard. Tomorrow we are surfing, Miss y’all so much and so grateful y’all sent me on this trip!!!
Lucas: Hey mom and dad, Spain is awesome. We have a lot of fun going on long hikes everyday. The scenery has been great and we have met so many new Spanish people. My group is great and I have slept well. The food is great. We don’t have to cook any meals this time. Tomorrow we are going surfing which is going to be fun. I can’t wait to see y’all.
Safe Arrival in Madrid!
July 6, 2026
Hello Spain + Morocco Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Madrid! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure!
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
